Getty Quinn Nordin
The New England Patriots seem to really love rookie kicker Quinn Nordin. On Friday, December 1, just two days after releasing him, the Patriots added him back to the practice squad.
The Michigan alum with the powerful leg was given every opportunity to outkick veteran Nick Folk in training camp and the preseason. However, some inconsistencies outshined the power of his leg and Folk returned as the team’s placekicker.
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However, Bill Belichick’s insistence on keeping Nordin within reach–after he cleared waivers–suggests there is at least some belief in the rookie’s chances of perhaps making an impact on the roster.
Nordin almost certainly won’t be active for the Patriots’ crucial Monday night matchup with the Buffalo Bills, but his future prospects with the organization are interesting.
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Is Nordin Another Justin Rohrwasser?
In 2020, the Patriots literally wasted a fifth-round pick on Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser. Injuries and inconsistency in training camp kept Rohrwasser off the field. It also didn’t help that he was drafted ahead of the COVID-19 restricted 2020 season.
He never got his footing and thus didn’t get a chance to perform during an NFL contest. Nordin has yet to attempt a kick in the regular season, but he did have some moments during the preseason.
Nordin was also an undrafted free agent, which prevents him from being looked at as a bust. Those are some very important differences between him and Rohrwasser. It would appear as though Nordin has a bit more of a connection with the Patriots’ coaching staff.
Also, Folk is a year older and closer to being pushed out as the team’s starting kicker. Bill Belichick won’t tolerate a lack of consistency from his kicker, but if a combination of Folk’s age and asking price becomes an issue for the Patriots, I’d expect Nordin would get a serious look during the offseason.
What’s Next For the Patriots?
The biggest game of the season for the Patriots is coming up.
A win over the Bills on Monday night would give New England a commanding 1.5 game lead, and they would also regain their psychological advantage over the Bills.
It would also be huge for the Patriots to head into the bye week on a seven-game win streak. following the bye, the Patriots would have winnable games left against the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and the rematch with Buffalo.
Here is a look at the remaining schedule and all of the results for the Patriots from the 2021 season.
New England Patriots (8-4) 2021 Regular Season Schedule
- Week 1 – vs. Miami Dolphins 17, New England Patriots 16
- Week 2 – New England Patriots 25, at New York Jets 6
- Week 3 – New Orleans Saints 28, New England Patriots 13
- Week 4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19, New England Patriots 17
- Week 5 – New England Patriots 25, at Houston Texans 22
- Week 6 – Dallas Cowboys 35, New England Patriots 29 – OT
- Week 7 – New England Patriots 54, New York Jets 13
- Week 8 – New England Patriots 27, Los Angeles Chargers 24
- Week 9 – New England Patriots 24, at Carolina Panthers 6
- Week 10 – New England Patriots 45, Cleveland Browns 7
- Week 11 – New England Patriots 25, at Atlanta Falcons 0
- Week 12 – New England Patriots 36, Tennessee Titans 13
- Week 13 – at Buffalo Bills at 8:15 pm ET – ESPN – December 6
- Week 14 – Bye Week
- Week 15 – at Indianapolis Colts at 8:20 pm ET – NFL Network – December 18
- Week 16 – Buffalo Bills at 1 pm ET – CBS – December 26
- Week 17 – Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 pm ET – CBS – January 2
- Week 18 – at Miami Dolphins at 1 pm ET – CBS – January 9
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